Trading Boredom for Fear

That mechanism by which you substitute fear for boredom, that’s one of the most common traps that people fall into.”

–Robert Anton Wilson, (An Incorrigible Optimist, interview)

 

 

I have been known to claim that I don’t get boredom. You’re bored? Don’t you have books to read, some new stream of thought to explore or something to meditate on? Have you heard all of Tori Amos’s music? How about Maynard James Keenan’s? Really Tool and A Perfect Circle? What is the last music you listened to that was outside your comfort zone? What is the last sentence you either intentionally misheard or misread and made horrible puns out of. As I said, while doing some things like dishes or laundry may feel tedious to me I am seldom if ever bored.
I have seen tho and know first hand the costs of boredom. Time slows down to a crawl and its not like its expanding with hours of fun but hours of tedium. Surely something will happen to make the time go by faster. I haven’t had a good adrenaline surge in minutes. The mind wanders over to all the things that could go wrong or the consequences of things I’ve done wrong in the past and before I know it I’m no longer bored but am in full scale panic mode. At least its exciting but not really worthwhile. I’d rather contemplate word play or meditate.
Blessings, G

 

Click on images to see full-sized:

 

In the Red ZoneIn the Red Zone by G A Rosenberg

 

The Abyss Stares BackThe Abyss Stares Back by G A Rosenberg